Two days out of the hospital I was engorged, exhausted, and like many, completely uneducated
about breastfeeding. I was under the common misconception that you birth your baby, boob
your baby, and feed your baby. BOOM! DONE! Sadly, this couldn’t have been farther from a picnic in my case.
No lactation specialists were available at the hospital at the time I delivered, so I had to visit them
later. They were awesome, but I needed extended help and they weren’t able to give it to me.
Much of the focus was on weight gain (or lack there-of) and all it did was make me even more
anxious, which of course inhibits let-down!
After several lactation visits, a lip and tongue revision (my son had a lip and tongue tie preventing
him from being able to latch properly causing LOTS of pain, crying, and puking), thousands (no
really THOUSANDS) of dollars spent on several breast pumps, lactation treats, topical rubs,
special bras, and whatever else I could find to make what was supposed to be a natural
experience happen, I was finally referred to Ms. Dee.
Before my referral to Dee, I had been calling the surrounding hospitals to see if I could get a different lactation specialist to tell me what I wanted to hear. The hospital I had delivered at had done all they could do and the other hospital in the area didn’t have a lactation consultant. I was transferred to the
nursery accidentally and was told by a baby nurse to call the hospital in my town and
ask to speak with Dee Miller. I was at the eye doctor. It was one of the first outings I had
with my new baby (who was about 6 weeks at the time). I was fighting with a nursing cover
because I was so embarrassed at the complete struggle that ensued each time I tried to latch
my son. The latch went exactly as I expected and I just buried my head under the nursing cover
and started to cry, thinking about all I had experienced in just 6 short weeks and wondering
why I was continuing to put my son through this struggle. I had been reminded by pediatric
nurses “your baby has to eat, even if it isn’t from you.” I was also given multiple bottles of formula and told to supplement and take nursing breaks. I was even told my son may be allergic to my breastmilk! I felt so defeated and couldn’t understand why I couldn’t do one of the amazing things my body was meant to do.
I dialed the number to Ms. Dee and the phone rang and rang. While ringing, the doctor came
out and called me back to start my eye exam. I had just gotten my son Cannon sort of latched and as I stood he unlatched and started screaming. I heard a voicemail come on and I don’t
remember what I said, but I know I was fighting back tears as I left the message.
Ms. Dee called me back later that evening and I knew immediately she was the person I had needed. She invited me to a breastfeeding support group that was happening a couple of days later and recommended some AMAZING nipple cream.
The morning of the breastfeeding support group, Cannon had an appointment at his pediatrician’s office, and afterward, we headed over to the support group. When I walked in I felt like I had found the place I belonged. I spoke with Ms. Dee about my son and the things that were going on with him and she offered a weighed feed consult and to check out my son’s latch and feeding position. She
gave me a ton of tips about ways to hold him and even discovered his ties were not completely
released. Once we got his second tie revision and learned different breastfeeding holds
(football will forever be a favorite) I was finally able to relax a little more. I started to pump less
and would just put Cannon to my breast as suggested by Ms. Dee. No fancy foods, supplements, or
drinks were needed. When I went back to work my supply dipped a bit, but I was armed with the
knowledge I needed to ensure Cannon was still getting the milk he needed. We discontinued
supplementing and Ms. Dee taught me paced bottle feeding which I taught to my mom who
kept my son while I was at work. He never drank more than the 1 to 1.5 oz per
recommendation and even though his weight gain was slow, he was following his curve perfectly.
Fast forward to April 2021 and my son turned two years old! We had been slowing down on
nursing, but I know there is no way I would have made it two years of breastfeeding if I wouldn’t
have met Ms. Dee. Her relaxed demeanor, kind words, and gentle guidance are INVALUABLE if
you are going to be a breastfeeding mom. Her ability to make a new breastfeeding mama feel
like an old pro is something you will only believe if you experience it. If I ever have any more
children, I would travel ANY distance to have Ms. Dee assess my baby and help me start my
breastfeeding journey the right way. A gem like Ms. Dee is rare and any moms who have the pleasure to meet and learn from her, are truly blessed.